talksport so long as you are not female!

On several occasions throughout the year some TALKSPORT presenters have felt  the need to be homophobic.On several other occasions they have also been extremely sexist, like they were last Friday (17th DEC. 2010) on the Drive time show. Adrian Durham teamed up with ex-professional Alvin Martin (who to be  fair didn't share the same anti- women in the game stance as Durham,) but it still amazes me how far this radio station will allow a so called debate to go.

So what is all the fuss you may ask?

One of the topics under discussion that afternoon was a feature on the English women's game and the fact that finally after years of existing on their own personal income to fund playing our national sport, and a little here and there in expenses if you raise yourself to the dizzy heights of pulling on an England shirt, women and girls are finally  to be helped out with 3 million pounds ploughed into the game.

''Can you give me one good reason why they should get the money?'' asked Mr Durham.

''The money would be much better being handed over to grass roots development for boys as in the future they are the ones who will go on and win us the WORLD CUP."

'' There is no point in putting money into the women's game as there is no end product.''

'' The girls and women could, like they have done before get to a finals, they could also win, but what does that matter to football fans and the rest of the country? There would be a fuss for 15 minutes  or so then everyone will just get on with what they are doing and the win would be forgotten about."-Durham protested.

''Why do the FA need to give the women this money when they are skint? I haven't found one good reason why the women's game needs the money, and all it will do is take things away from a small boy who wants to play the game.''

'' Why do they need the money? They can already play in teams and in leagues and compete in competition at EURO and WORLD level.''

'' I really wanted to have an intelligent debate on this,'' Durham said ''it's puzzling me why the FA have chosen to spend the money on this,I do wonder about the wisdom of spending money on the women's game."

''Call us, text us, email and let us know what you think,'' he stated.

I phoned, only as usual unless you are in the 'talksport click' you are told  that things have moved on and the 5 minute debate on this topic was over.A couple of listeners in the same thought as Mr Durham were allowed to air their views, Alvin Martin disagreed, Durham continued with rant and things were wrapped up on the subject,''There's no end product to the women's game."

So to echo what an ex England player Marrian Spacey pointed out to Mr Durham and to let you all know the stats around the women's and girls game, I found out at an FA coaching event in January of this year provided by Hope Powell, here are just a few reasons why the money coming into women's football in England is well over due but greatly needed by all.

The money brought in will fund the following:

No less than 8 clubs in an elite league, with players on 16k a year through central contracts, there will be 20 players per squad and a salary cap.

The game will grow and an England girls/ women's set up could be up there with the best of the other women's teams for some time, also for the first time young girls will have role models to look up to and emulate, (they may not do this in football but in other sports) as those watching the women  play the game may enjoy doing so, seeing a female be successful

Youngsters will become fit and healthy if they play.

Stats show  the following:

1.1 million girls in England play football.

260,000 women play football for teams.

More girls/women play football than boys play basket ball.

Tesco skills have 42% who are girls playing (14% of these are BME)

There are 2,890  8-16 year old's in 52 centres of excellence

13% of girls play FUTSAL.

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Yet out of 15,000 who took coaching badges at levels 1,2,3, in 2008 and 18,000 in 2009 only 5 then went on to achieve levels 4 and 5.

Only 3% of women/girls are qualified as refs.

Talksport presenters and many of the listeners show that the game we gave to the world is still very much considered to be a very male macho orientated one. But times are a changing and with the funding coming in to boost female participation, we could be cheering on World Cup winners who are female, but who are more than willing to role up their sleeves and be counted in a rough an tumble contact sport, emulating the boy's and men's achievements.

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Romainian Football President hurls gay slurs towards coach!!

It seems as though the fashion for officials in  European football this winter is to see who can be the most homophobic.
As we know its only a few weeks back that Croatia had its problems with its top brass in the sport airing their views on why anyone LGBT should not be allowed to play the game, now we have a Romanian President insulting a fellow official  and a coach of another football team.
Hopefully he will be suspended and fined, or even relived of his duties if he persists with this unacceptable behavior.
Boys its not big and its not clever.


(The following was found an football  website  CAUGHT OFFSIDE.)

Timisoara president Marian Iancu – suspended last week for baiting Universitatea Craiova coach Victor Piturca as a “homosexual satantist” – says Otelul president Marius Stan is “arrogant and ugly – a man who forgot his medication.”
Iancu told the media: “He tells me to keep quiet, but he’s the one that needs to shut it. He is bent. All the world’s washing powder and Danube’s waters aren’t enough to clean this man’s character.”

Stan: “Iancu barks all day long on TV. Maybe he didn’t have a TV when he was little, which is why he is so fascinated by it. He doesn’t bother me. Let him bark.”

homophobia alive and kicking at FA cup tie.

Blue Square South side Woking earned a reply against Brighton and Hove Albion on 16th NOV 2010, the game was televised live in ESPN, four goals in a 2 all draw, then  3 penalties sufficed for Brighton to go through. Nothing out of order there you may think, but those like myself who pick up on the ever increasing amount discrimination in the game these days,  and who watched the coverage or who attended will have a lasting memory of the abuse given out throughout the night from the home fans.
The abuse has been picked up and highlighted on a number of football websites and blogs by fans of both teams, but this is an all too common tale of what goes on at many of today's matches.
A number of flares and smoke bombs were thrown onto the pitch and "run from the students, you only run from the students." aimed at the police and security presence may have been the witty start of things, but as is all too often when BHA play the opposition fans just can't help themselves to shout homophobic abuse and chants.
The Cards may well be governed by conference rules and regulations,rather than the FA regs there are in the top 4 professional leagues (the ground quite possibly coming under nothing more than a public area,) but surely its time their own administration took action against those who saw fit to disrupt the evenings entertainment, as it wasn't a one off.
Homophobic chanting could be herd quite clearly on the TV coverage, as well as by those at the game.
"We can see you holding hands, "and  "Does you're boyfriend know you're here."Followed by,"Do you take it up the ARSE," and "Does your father know you're QUEER," were order of the day."
Tame you may think to some of the chanting of abuse there can be around someones sexuality, but its happened a couple of days after 2 well known names in the professional game from Croatia have stated "there will be no homosexual players on the team while i am in charge," comments which should see UEFA (under pressure from gay rights groups and the likes of EGLSF and FARE) finally make a stand against this type of discrimination that adorns football globally.
Administrators of the game in the FA, PL, FL, PFA, LMA along with the REFS ASS, and government, and police and FANS need to clampdown on this behaviour in every way they can, so that anyone of whatever sexual orientation feels safe and comfortable to play, coach and watch football in which ever environment they chose too.

FOOTBALL IS NOT EXCLUSIVE FOOTBALL IS FOR ALL.

a campaign too far?

For the last six months or so Staffordshire University through 'topfan' conducted research around homophobia in football and its results they claim say that fans would not have a problem if a player/players were to come out in the professional game.What got to me about the research was the way they circulated to the media the findings and left key bits out, even though they had at an earlier date produced a 'summary of results.
They also never highlighted about homophobia amongst the threads and fans comments following the research that was posted to fans sites , bloggs, message boards etc.
So here below is one example so you can see just how much education still needs to be given to those who attend matches and read and write online.

Below is taken from the forum on...... football.co.uk site posted under the heading, "is homophobia in football a big problem?"
thanks for reading,DJ Lindsay.



Apparently homophobia is a big problem in the game and there are certain groups who are out trying to fight back.

Now, I’m totally against discriminating against anyone because of creed, colour or sexuality. However, I’m also very much against celebrity culture, where we have to know every single piece of info about whoever we’re watching on the box. I’m also against groups that insist on ramming issues down the throats of the public insisting we’re always doing something wrong.

The Greens have been telling us we’re evil for enjoying life, our Councils tell us we’re evil if we put a crisp packet in the recycling bag and football clubs are making everything unacceptable at a ground. We can’t drink, we can’t stand and pretty soon, there won’t be anything to sing about.

Now don’t get me wrong, homophobia is a terrible thing. At its worst, people face bullying and even physical violence at the hands of intolerant people. Does this apply to a football ground?

I only ask because to my knowledge there isn’t an outed footballer in the Premiership or any division, so I struggle to see where homophobic chanting can be pinpointed. If saying Sol Campbell takes it up the crack counts as hate talk, then fine… but I thought the point there was that he isn’t actually gay?

These groups are pushing for an environment where songs like that aren’t sung. Well, how far do we go with that? Do we set up a group that protects scousers on the dole from fan abuse? Do we ban Spurs fans from using the racist term Yiddo? Do footballers with famous popstar partners group together to prevent their wives becoming targets? How about the referee abuse that goes on in EVERY game?

If you’re going to go after homophobic chanting, you have to go after it all.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not justifying any of it. I’m firstly saying that taking the mick from the stands has always been part of the game and secondly, why are these groups trying to dictate players come out when they might not want to?

Whose business is it? I don’t give a rats arse about who a player chooses to spend and evening with. All I care about as a football supporter is what happens on the pitch.

Gareth Thomas is probably the most famous gay sportsman in Britain. He outed himself because it’s what he wanted to. There was only one incident of crowd abuse and the club was fined for not managing the situation.

I just think this is one campaign too far and yet another attempt to tar Football spectators as Neanderthal and uncultured. You’ll always have a subsection of fans who sing songs they shouldn’t, break the minutes silence and possibly even fight. Providing clubs act swiftly, which they tend to these days… I don’t see why when the time does come to have a gay footballer in our midst, we can’t manage the issue.

England is renowned the world over for being a tolerant country, I really don’t think a gay footballer is going be that much of an issue when the time comes.

However, my personal view is that if a players wants to come out, it should be their decision, not a campaign group or a NoTW Sunday special… people’s private lives should be exactly that… private.

croatian football frederation president

THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED.

"Luckily, only normal people play football".
Croatian media reports the comments made by Football Federation President Vlatko Markovic.
Below you will find the news article followed by a link to a press release from EGLSF.
Homosexuals banned from Croatian national team, says football federation president
Croatian Times

Croatian gay and lesbian associations have condemned Croatian Football Federation president Vlatko Markovic after he said there was no place for homosexuals in the national team.

"While I'm a president of the Croatian Football Federation, there will be no homosexuals playing in the national team", Vlatko Markovic said in an interview with Croatian national daily Vecernji List.

Asked whether in his career he has met a homosexual footballer, he has replied:

"Luckily, only normal people play football".

Gay and lesbian associations have informed the Croatian media that they will sue the Football Federation President for discrimination. They also intend to report Vlatko Markovic to UEFA.

The Croatian national football team is in the top ten of the FIFA world ranking.





http://www.eglsf.info/EGLSF_Public_Documents/EGLSF_press_release-vlatko_markovic.pdf